Tamil Protesters Shut Down Major Freeway in Toronto, Canada

Tamil protests block Gardiner

May 10, 2009 11:56 PM
Comments on this story (333)
Henry Stancu
Nicole Baute
staff reporters

The Gardiner Expressway came to a standstill as about 2,000 Tamil protesters stormed onto the highway and ramps, blocking all lanes Sunday night.

Toronto police Chief Bill Blair said the protest is unlawful. "What they are doing right now is clearly unlawful and unsafe," he said.

He added that there are women and children at the front of the protesting group and that the highway guardrails aren't very high.

He said more police officers are being brought in and day shift officers are remaining on duty to address the situation. They are trying to peacefully remove the protesters through negotiation.

Tempers began to fray as the protest dragged late into the night. Police went behind the protest line on the highway and arrested one man.

"It's very difficult to negotiate with them because their leadership is not coming forward," Blair said.

He added that the team of police response, "has to be proportionate to the danger (protesters) are creating."

The protesters are refusing to leave until a federal government official addresses the group.

"The community is asking for a representative from the Conservative government to come meet the community and assure them that serious economic or diplomatic sanctions will be placed on Sri Lanka," said Shyanthy Thezarajh, 24, a spokesperson for the Tamil protesters.

A police negotiator mentioned that someone would talk to them if they moved off the road but the community didn't trust that that would happen and so far have refused to leave, Thezarajh said.

"There's been a massive impact on each and every individual here. And they're pretty much trying to get the media to understand what's going on in the hopes that the issue would come to the world stage and some kind of meaningful solution will be achieved for Sri Lanka right now," she said.

She is hoping for diplomatic sanctions against Sri Lanka and a stronger statement at the UN.

"Hopefully, once people start realizing what exactly happened to trigger all these emotions, I'm hoping as a community (Canadians) will all stand together," she said.

Hundreds of people, young and old, sat cross-legged with babies in strollers on the highway around her.

Meanwhile, another few thousand protesters gathered on University and College and in front of the American consulate.

The dramatic moves, following several protests in recent weeks in both Ottawa and Toronto, came after news that an all-night artillery barrage in Sri Lanka's war zone killed more than 370 people and forced thousands to flee to makeshift shelters along the beach.

Police were caught off guard as the demonstration swelled.

Later in the evening as some protesters walked down off the Gardiner additional ones arrived.

Meanwhile, 52 Division station became a command post surrounded on all sides by double-parked police cruisers from across the city. Police officers were being bussed to the Gardiner.

Police had been monitoring several groups of demonstrators who had joined up on Spadina Ave. as they headed south at about 6:30 p.m.

The closure of the Gardiner, which police expect to stretch into the evening, caused traffic gridlock on all downtown streets.

Once the marchers hit the lakeshore hundreds of people began running up the ramp to the westbound Gardiner. Marchers held flags, banners and placards demanding a stop to the violence in their homeland.

Police closed ramps to the expressway from Jarvis to Spadina Ave. Traffic backed up in both directions from the Don Valley Parkway to the east and as far as the Humber River in the west end. A group of demonstrators had crossed over the centre concrete median spreading themselves out across all lanes.

Mounted officers were brought to the scene as police surrounded the group and patrol officers from divisions across the city were also brought in.

"A wake-up call this morning was that we lost 4,000 people," said protester Arthty Ragupathy, 15, noting the casualty number many at the protest are using although official reports say about 400 civilians were killed. However, media are not allowed into the war zone so it is difficult to substantiate the exact number.

"My grandmother overnight was actually killed," Ragupathy said, grabbing a friend's hand for support

While many Tamil Canadians awoke to the news this morning, Ragupathy sat up through the night with her family, listening to the names of the dead listed on a Tamil radio station. Her grandmother, who is nearly 80, had left Jaffna and relocated to the no-fire zone, where she was supposed to be safe.

Her name was announced around 1 or 2 a.m.

"They're trying to get rid of the whole Tamil race," she said, her big brown eyes moist.

People turned off their car engines and stood in the roadway, some taking pictures with cameras or cellphones.

"I was on my way to visit friends and go see a movie," said Matthew Sacks. "It's unfortunate it has to come to this but I guess it's not the end of the world."

Stephany Anton Arogana, 16, a protester, said, "It's hard for us students to focus at school. Our teachers are teaching us something and our minds are somewhere else."

She said they have protested every way possible and the Canadian government has not effectively intervened.

"We did not get our voices heard. We hope this helps. We're getting to a point where our people are decreasing in numbers."

A motorist was disappointed by the disruption.

"This is not good. I'm on my way to see my mother for Mother's Day and I guess I'm going to be late," said Erin Edwards. Edwards like many motorists left their cars and walked toward the crowd and watched the spectacle unfold behind police lines. "I get the point of their problems but I don't get this," Edwards added.

At about 7:30 police began getting motorists to back up their cars and down the closest ramp

Anita, a spokesperson for the Tamil protesters who was on the scene, said the protest was peaceful. "We're all just on the floor sitting down. We're here trying to stop the genocide."

She added it was impossible for the protesters to get off the highway as they were flanked at the front and the back by police officers.

Traffic was backed up in both directions for kilometres and the closure of what is part of a ring road was slowing traffic around and throughout the city.

Protesters also blocked off a downtown intersection near the Ontario legislature.

Police from the surrounding regions sent in officers to assist the Toronto force.

Tamil Canadians and their supporters have been holding protests for several months to demonstrate against violence in Sri Lanka.

They began Sunday by holding a moving protest on University Avenue across from the U.S. consulate and then moved south to take over the highway.

Toronto Police Staff Insp. Donald Campbell of the public order unit talked with the protesters.

He told them that they couldn't negotiate on the highway but the protesters were adamant they were going to stay.


With files from The Canadian Press